Google confirms RAW support for Android

Google has said that the Android operating system will soon be gaining the ability to store Raw files as well as other photographic improvements

As part of an ongoing overhaul of the Android operating system, Google has announced that Android-enabled phones will in the future be able to take and store Raw images.

The tech giant did not confirm precisely when this change is due to take plac, but confirmed that Android’s latest HAL (hardware abstraction layer) would support not only Raw files but also burst mode photography.

The reaction to the camera on the recently released Nexus 5 (above) has been a little underwhelming, with both the user interface and the quality of images produced coming under fire. Hopefully this new update will be the first step in redressing the balance and bringing the Nexus’s camera a little more in line with some of the other quality smartphone cameras released this year.

You can read more about the update here, though be warned that if you’re not a programmer it’s a little impenetrable.